The Book of a Few

by Rodgers, Austen

  “That’s a bad idea,” Branden said. “If there is any place that I have a chance to live, it’s probably here.”

  “Thank you,” I said to Branden, then to Dana, “I agree with him.”

  “Pshh.” Dana waved his hand in the air, ignoring my comment.

  “It’s almost completely fenced in, food, massive amounts of space, refrigeration, there’s no better place to be,” Branden said.

  Dana groaned. “Come on. We all know what the C.V.P.M. and those other fucktards want: this building and us dead. We’ve been lucky that no one else has tried to set up shop here, and we have no way to keep it up and running if something breaks down. We’re gonna end up dead if we stay. Mark my words.”

  “Why would you be so quick to want to leave before we even fully know what the C.V.P.M. wants? If anything, you should be thanking them for saving us,” Will argued.

  “Jesus-fuck. God forbid I might someday want to find my own family.”

  “They live in Cali, Dana. I doubt that, number one, they are alive. Number two, there aren’t any chances of ever making it there or finding them if they are alive,” Branden said. “I mean look, my kid lives in this town of forty thousand people and I haven’t found him. In fact, there is hardly anyone to be found. This place is a quiet, empty place with nothing but a growing number of herds of sick people roaming the streets. What gives you the hope that your wife and son, by themselves, would survive in a place as populated as California?”

  “You know what?” Dana looked head-on at Branden. “Fuck you. I found some people that I have risked my life out wandering the streets for in search of their lost family, and they don’t even coddle me in return. They don’t even tell me, ‘Oh, Dana, I’m sorry all this bad stuff happened to you. If it makes you feel any better, when the day comes, maybe I’ll help you find yours.’ But no, I get told to wise the fuck up. At this point, even just pretending you care would be a courtesy.”

  “No, Dana,” Will said, balling his fist.

  “Will, don’t make it worse, please,” I demanded.

  “Ever since you came into the picture, which was shady as shit and you know it, you’ve been barking all the orders. And you guys,” Will motioned toward Branden and me, “you let him! You just bent over and let Dana have his way. I spent how many days tied up and running around with a baseball bat before I was even handed a gun. But Dana comes in and takes charge like it’s his job.”

  I didn’t respond to that accusation; I knew Will was right.

  “That’s because I’m the only one with the guts to get anything done,” Dana said.

  I shook my head and groaned, then stood up and left. I didn’t want to be around them after all that. We are so fucked. Normally I would say that, yeah, things are hard, but we’ll make it. But I don’t feel it today. This place is hell. The only thing we do is get fucked over in one way or another. Dana is right; we aren’t going to be able to maintain this building forever and I know that. What then? We move, find another place, and get screwed over some more? I’m not sure what to pursue anymore.

  I’ve been sitting on this roof for almost two hours it seems. The Colonel still hasn’t shown up. Been doodling and writing in here to pass the time. It helps calm my nerves, too. Even though I’m constantly writing about things that happened, it seems like putting those experiences down on paper helps me move past them. It solidifies the experiences into a manageable way. I write down what’s happened instead of sitting around sulking. I get my thoughts out and it relieves me.

  The C.V.P.M. just pulled up. One truck. I’m going to go meet with the others.

  ——

  Motherfucker. They called for a meeting that I am not attending. Not by choice, mind you. If I could, I would be in there. Casey and Ethan are speaking for their group, Dana and Branden for us, and the Colonel is in there with two of his lackeys. God, I hope they don’t fuck this up. By ‘they,’ I really mean Dana. He’s got a loud, rude mouth, and I don’t want to hear about him screwing us over. Although he did seem rather calm, for Dana, before they went into the offices to talk.

  It’s been an hour, and they’re still at it. Although at one point Dana led the Colonel out of the HR offices and to the Nurse’s office Lisa has been using. I’m uncertain why, and I tried to ask Dana how it was going as they walked by, but all I got was a nod. He looked a little gloomy, though. I’m certain I’ll find out the cause later.

  The Colonel is quite well-kept for a man in this day and age. Must be easy living over in that base of theirs. He wasn’t that old, really. Probably mid-thirties, I’d say. Clean-shaven, short cut hair, in uniform and all. His face is a serious one, though: jutting jaw line and soul piercing eyes. He has a sense of crisp cleanliness with his ironed-out uniform that I haven’t seen in quite a while. This man is out of touch with what we deal with on a daily basis. He seemed high above us, on a tower, completely unaffected by what was going on outside his base. By his looks, I would guess that the man hasn’t even had to shoot anything yet.

  Anyways, I’m going to head up to the roof while I wait for the news.

  ——

  Dana has a gun to the Colonel’s head. I’m still on the roof, and they are outside standing by the trucks. What the fuck is he doing? Why is Joey down there with them? I can’t hear what they are saying. Okay, he put the gun down and one of the men just leaned into a truck.

  It’s been like ten minutes and everyone is standing around. None of the C.V.P.M. have seen me yet. I’m ready to shoot the moment something happens. Shit. If I die, Miranda, I love you and I’m sorry I didn’t look for you more. I know I should have. I’m sorry. It was a selfish ‘out of sight, out of mind’ attempt. Now I just feel guilty knowing you probably are dead by now.

  A second C.V.P.M. truck is driving up now. Dana still has his gun in his hand. Ugh, that dumbass. A few of the soldiers just pulled a man in a wheelchair out of the back of the truck. Dana is talking with him. JESUS CHRIST, DANA, STOP POINTING YOUR GUN AT THESE PEOPLE!

  Recorder’s Log, August 2, 2013

  This is the official recording of a meeting between three parties involving the acquisition of the warehouse in Cedar Falls, Iowa. This is to be filed in accordance to standard practices.

  PRE-NOTES: I, the Recorder, am not an official or trained Recorder. Therefore, the quality of my capturing of dialogue may not be up to standards, and everything written must be taken with a grain of salt. This meeting is to settle the ownership of the warehouse.

  Parties involved:

  Cedar Valley People’s Militia, from here on out will be recorded as: C.V.P.M. Miles Haze is speaking on behalf of the C.V.P.M..

  The original occupants of the warehouse will be recorded as: O.O. Dana Browne and Branden Nuemann are speaking on their own behalf.

  The third party, offending O.O., will be recorded as: A.O. Ethan Hillis and Casey Gritch are speaking on their own behalf.

  MILES HAZE: Well, let me get started with this. Our recorder, Private Martin, is not a practiced recorder. Please do your best to speak slowly so that he may accurately record the happenings of this meeting.

  DANA BROWNE: (Laughing.) Just like the government to record everything.

  MILES HAZE: Gentlemen, we have an opportunity to right wrongs today. Please do not ruin that chance. First, we will go around, with myself serving as a moderator to keep things moving. Casey, your group is suspected of multiple crimes involving holding the O.O. hostage, and thievery of their food and firearms. You must be aware of the seriousness of these offenses. Each thing that you have taken from them is the means by which all men in today’s society survive. Not to mention, two members of your group were detained recently for the attempted kidnapping of a woman. For the record, there are other numerous charges. If you do not feel capable of keeping your men in line and out of trouble, seek out the C.V.P.M. to intervene. Do you have anything to say in your group’s defense?

  CASEY GRITCH: No.

  MILES HAZE: You’re beginning to get quite a lis
t of offenses. I’m sure you have something to say.

  CASEY GRITCH: I don’t need you checking in on my men and me all the time. Our actions were justified. You have no idea what it’s like to try to live out here.

  MILES HAZE: Explain this to me, Casey.

  CASEY GRITCH: Fucking shit, really?

  BRANDEN NUEMANN: We had a scuffle a while back. They killed one of ours, and we retaliated. A few of their men died, and we took their truck.

  MILES HAZE: Is this true, Casey? Did you attack these men?

  CASEY GRITCH: No, they triggered a trap we rigged up meant to serve as an alarm for any dead that might roam in. Killed their front man. They let infected in, a lot of them, and I lost a few of my men. One of our guys saw which direction they drove in our truck, so we tracked them down.

  MILES HAZE: Have you ever heard of the phrases “turn the other cheek” or “let bygones be bygones,” Casey?

  CASEY GRITCH: I don’t need your coaching, Colonel.

  MILES HAZE: All right then. I’ll move on to the next party involved, the O.O. Tell me, Dana is it? How long has your group occupied this warehouse?

  DANA BROWNE: Well, the first of us, Branden here and Chester, I think have probably been here for two weeks, almost. I think Will and Taylor—Taylor was the one that died by Casey’s trap—came in later. I have only been here for four days, I think. I’m pretty sure.

  MILES HAZE: I’m surprised that you are speaking here considering you’ve only been involved with your group for four days.

  DANA BROWNE: Well, I’m told I’m persuasive, so I figured why not?

  MILES HAZE: Very well, then. Now, your group doesn’t have a clean slate either.

  BRANDEN NUEMANN: What? Why are we just now hearing about this then?

  MILES HAZE: Let me finish. You men are being charged with the murder of a C.V.P.M. associate.

  BRANDEN NUEMANN: We didn’t kill anyone with the C.V.P.M.

  MILES HAZE: Let me read the files to you. Major Thomson was assigned as Head of MP in our operations at the local hospital. I’m sure you know Major Thomson. He had filed an R.I. form with you as the suspects. Along with that Request for Investigation form, he filed this letter as evidence. Have a look. It’s written by Bruce Thomson and addressed to the Major. It states that he was injured and in an unsafe environment. It also states that he was coming here, in search of food and a place to stay. These other files are Major Thomson’s logs of their experience in this building, in detail how Dr. Hillman died. In his written recollection of the happenings on that day, he notes something about a suspicious burning corpse.

  DANA BROWNE: Get to it, I want to hear it from you.

  MILES HAZE: You are being accused of the murder of Bruce Thomson. As a matter of fact, I am quite certain. Subsequent searches in the area between where the note was found and this warehouse have revealed nothing. There were no bodies that Major Thomson himself could identify as Bruce.

  BRANDEN NUEMANN: That’s bullshit. No one has shown up here. That body was a zombie that wandered into the parking area overnight.

  CASEY GRITCH: Don’t bother arguing with these guys; it’s pointless. If they see you as guilty, they charge you as guilty.

  ETHAN HILLIS: Damn straight.

  DANA BROWNE: That doesn’t mean we are going to bend over like you do.

  MILES HAZE: Enough! I won’t have you alienating them, Casey. I know that the C.V.P.M. has a rough image, but goddamn it, your actions are what caused our interest in you. No, in both of you. Don’t act like we are cruel punishers when we are the only people trying to do something good for our community.

  BRANDEN NUEMANN: Blow me. Even if we did kill Bruce, why would we tell you? You’d charge us as criminals for murder, cuff us, and take us to your Delivery and Labor Unit.

  MILES HAZE: What?

  BRANDEN NUEMANN: At least we don’t judge another man as a criminal and subject him to experiments because we feel he has nothing to contribute to society.

  MILES HAZE: Who told you about that place? How do you know about our operations?

  CASEY GRITCH: Wait, they fuck with their prisoners? You son—

  MILES HAZE: Here it is! We will orchestrate this peacefully between all three groups involved or I will be forced to take control of the situation violently. Casey and his group will be sentenced to off-base incarceration and guard duty. With your offenses, both current and past, your armaments are to be reduced to one firearm for every two men, plus one. Each firearm that is assigned to you by the C.V.P.M. will be marked with blaze orange painting on the barrel. You and your men will be responsible for who has a firearm and when, so that you may set up your own times to patrol and guard. If a group member is seen holding a firearm without its mark, and not in a life-threatening situation explicitly involving a breach of infected, that person will be shot on sight.

  CASEY GRITCH: What the fuck! You’re going to send us off to defend some place and not even arm us fully? Just kill us for fuck’s sake!

  MILES HAZE: Oh, no. You took men hostage, Casey. You wanted this place, so take it. It’ll be your prison from here on out. If any of your men step outside those fences for any reason, they will be fired upon.

  DANA BROWNE: Whoa, whoa, whoa, now! I don’t want these fuckers in here!

  MILES HAZE: You, Dana, and your men will not receive similar repercussions, as you and your men were the victims in this most recent issue. But we do have the one matter that does require resolution.

  DANA BROWNE: ‘Lemme guess. Bruce.

  MILES HAZE: You got it. With this letter and it’s dating, subsequent searches, and Thomson’s testimony, we know that Bruce died here. Since it is truly difficult to retain composure in such harsh times, you will be punished less than what you may have been if this had happened two or three weeks ago. You and your people will be free to come and go from the warehouse. Since you were the original occupants, there will be no restrictions to your armaments. But there are two costs as you might say. Just recently, after the realization that such a large food warehouse was within city limits, I had some men come to inspect the building for habitation and acquisition. I was even more excited when I heard of the potential defensibility of the building and seeing it here today has confirmed that. I will assign eight of my men here to guard this warehouse. They will not leave the building under any circumstances. Portions of the food will be distributed to the public, and in the near future, new food will be moved in for storage. This building will not go to waste and it will serve the community. The last part of the deal is that you will tell me which of you killed Bruce. Of course I understand that things can get hectic when panic kicks in, so if it was a group-wide act, I wish to know who, if any individual, thought to strike first.

  BRANDEN NUEMANN: What are you going to do to that person or those people involved?

  MILES HAZE: I should get an accurate answer regardless of that.

  DANA BROWNE: I—

  BRANDEN NUEMANN: (To Dana:) Don’t you fucking dare. I know what you’re thinking, and both of us know that it’s wrong.

  MILES HAZE: If you do not cooperate by telling us who is responsible, then all of you will be removed from the building by force.

  DANA BROWNE: (Sighing.) I can take you to the man responsible.

  BRANDEN NUEMANN: (Cursing, throws a few punches at Dana; Dana holds him down.)

  MILES HAZE: Men, please.

  DANA BROWNE: Look the other way, Branden. I’m saving our asses. (To Miles:) I’m not one to turn on one of my own, so you’d better make this deal pretty fuckin’ sweet. I want only four of your men in here, no more. I don’t want you boys breathing down our necks while we sleep. Between Casey and his men, ours, and yours, we will be fine no matter what comes our way.

  MILES HAZE: Four men isn’t a lot, Dana. And just so you know, let me lay down some rules. My men will have their own room in the building. Going into that room will be considered trespassing. But they won’t mess with you as long as you don’t mess with them. If I were yo
u, I wouldn’t think about simply dispatching them either. We will be in constant communication with our men and we will know if they fail to report in. Think of it as an embassy, or a form of backup. They will be there solely to ensure the survival of the warehouse itself.